1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel (PDP) module, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for diagnosing a cell defect of a PDP module.
2. Background of the Related Art
PDP modules are employed in a large-scale television receiver, a monitor or the like since the modules are easily scaled up and colorized. A defective status of the module is determined based on a cell defect. A related art method for diagnosing the cell defect to determine whether or not the PDP module is defective will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
In general, a microcomputer 100 controls the television receiver, and a user interface 102 interfaces between a user and the microcomputer 100. A color decoder 106 receives a chrominance signal from a broadcasting signal receiver (not shown) to extract luminance signals and a vertical/horizontal sync signal (YUVHV) and then supplies them to a scaler IC 104. A pattern generator 108 includes various patterns containing a pattern to diagnose the cell defect, and supplies the pattern to the scaler IC 104 via a buffer 110. The scaler IC 104 scales the video signals YUVHV and RGB inputted according to the control of the microcomputer 100 to output the result to a PDP module 112. The PDP module 112 displays the output RGBHV of the scaler IC 104 on the screen.
The related art method for diagnosing the cell defect employed in the PDP television receiver will now be described. If the diagnostician operates a command for entry into a diagnosing mode of the cell defect via the user interface 102, the microcomputer 100 controls the respective parts to display the pattern for diagnosing the cell defect on the PDP module 112, as shown in FIG. 2.
The diagnostician diagnoses the cell defect by examining the pattern displayed on the screen of the PDP module 112 with the unaided eye. The cell defect is diagnosed for the entire screen by use of the pattern displayed on the entire surface of the screen.
As described above, the related art apparatus and method for diagnosing a cell defect in a PDP device using a PDP module has various disadvantages. In the related art, the cell defect of the border region and the cell defect of the center region are considered equivalent parameters when used to determine whether or not the PDP module is defective.
The equal process or treatment of the cell defects of the border and center regions in the related art causes a PDP module, which can have few cell defects or little to no problems in actual use, to be regarded as defective. Further, it can be very difficult to detect the cell defect for the entire surface particularly with the scale-up of the PDP module of the entire surface of the wide screen with the unaided eye. Accordingly, there is a long felt need for an apparatus and method capable of diagnosing a cell defect by a diagnostician or the like of the PDP module.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.